Defending India
December 5th, 2008
Submitted By: Andrea Muntzel
Thanksgiving came around with an event that none of us could possibly give thanks for? a terrorist attack in Mumbai. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in fending off worried family members’ and friends’ comments about the dangers of India. I’m also sure I wasn’t the only one that felt fearful and concerned for our upcoming trip to the city.
In the days that followed the attacks, a deluge of articles, videos, and interviews filled the newspapers and news channels. If you haven’t heard much about the attack itself, I suggest reading this Wall Street Journal article, entitled India Security Faulted as Survivors Tell of Terror (also see the interactive graphic). Since this article was written, there has been a back-and-forth between Pakistan and India, talks about the effects this attack will have on the economy, and a theory that links China to the grenades used in the attacks (a completely different blog post in itself). Writing this post, I am overwhelmed by the opportunity to spark insightful discussions on a number of diverse topics relating to India’s horrific attack. I will write about my own perceptions and experiences; feel free to write about yours.
On Thanksgiving morning, after learning about these acts of terrorism, my first reaction (surprise) was not very surprising. After reading Zakaria’s The Post-American World, I have felt very confident about going to India. A country that can relate to the United States and that has strong ties to the United States would surely be a safe place for Americans, right? I’m not sure. After my family finished our Thanksgiving meal, I found myself in an unusual position: arguing in favor of India. Talking politics at the dinner table is a social faux pas that I try to avoid. This time, however, I was in the heat after sparking the debate with my response to my aunt’s question, “You aren’t going to Mumbai when you go to India, are you?!” As I gently explained my knowledge obtained through Zakaria, I realized that a lot of the distrust my family had for India was rooted in ignorance and fear; my uncle’s line of work has seen a lot of jobs going overseas to India, and my aunt thinks that Indians don’t like Americans. After researching the subject, I also discovered how limited the information I had about India was. I was unaware that India has been the target of 12 terrorist attacks since 2005 (see WSJ article, Murder in Mumbai). The fact that the country is pro-American does not mean that it is America, complete with the largest defense budget in the world. In fact, this attack has revealed huge weaknesses in India’s infrastructure and government.
These comments have brought up several points relating to the attacks in Mumbai. First, of course, is whether India is a safe place for us to visit this summer. I find myself conflicted in this issue. I initially thought that chances are there wouldn’t be two terrorist attacks in the same place within such a tight time period. After learning about India’s history, however, I admit to being a little more nervous. Being American in a city that has been the target of terrorism towards Americans is a little disconcerting.
The second issue is India’s slow reaction to the attacks. In light of this subject, I thought it was only fitting to include Fareed Zakaria’s discussion of this incident from a Newsweek article entitled This Fire Needs to be Put Out. In the article, Zakaria discusses India’s weaknesses in an honest and insightful way. He talks again about the need for reform at the governmental level while also touching on political, social, and foreign issues. A correlation must be made between the fact that India is a democracy yet is “plagued by weak coalition governments, patronage and corruption, with little emphasis on professionalism and competence.”
Overall, it will be interesting to see how India reacts over the next couple of weeks. Zakaria predicts that these attacks will have the same uniting result that 9/11 had on Americans. He writes: “while Indians have many troubles, they have one great counterterrorism policy - resilience. The Mumbai stock exchange reopened last Friday and closed higher. The country will persevere, the city will bounce back, and all those who have reasons to go there should not be deterred.”
Hopefully, neither shall we.
16 Comments Add your own
1. Alex vanDalen | December 12th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Why is it that people are so easily scared?
Everyone knows that the concept of instilling fear is central to the effectiveness of terrorism. This has held true over many centuries and is not unique to our present circumstance. Terrorists count on the fear generated by their actions to cause much more chaos than the actions themselves. People run and they hide, taking their gold with them into their tiny holes in the ground (usual tract homes built during the last consumption frenzy aka. market bubble) and cause all sorts of chaos in both the stock markets and society at large.
We have been likewise warned about the power of fear since birth. Cartoons and childrens’ books tell us that our fears can’t hurt us if we cease to be afraid. It is one of the central wisdoms drawn from many folk tales, religious tracts, and the cliche’ quotes of politicians long dead. Examples are too numerous to count. The Bible: “Though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil”, Pop culture : “The shadow knows what fear lurks in the hears of men”, and the ever popular FDR: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”
SO WHY ARE WE STILL AFRAID EVERY FIVE MINUTES???
Has the message not sunk in? It is odd that with both scary movies and terrorism at all time highs, accurate and developed psychological models to describe function and action of fear on our bodies are still not available. We do not fully know why we are afraid because fear is an irrational construct. Yet time and time again people approach this irrational beast with methodical planning and diligence, looking at and assessing their fears when they plan their vacations, build their relationships, and make critical life choices.
My initial reaction when i heard of the Mumbai attacks was selfish. I naturally assumed that we would no longer we traveling India due to the inevitable whining and complaining (despite these things being specifically verboten on the syllabus) of students and their parents. I am glad that I was wrong.
We are no longer in High school people… your parents cannot and will not be able to help you in the board room should you ever get there so why oh why are they making your decisions now?
I must say that I am quite pleased and even pleasantly shocked at the way the Administration has handled this difficult situation. It is difficult to address the irrational (yet somewhat legitimate) concerns of an angry group of parents when they hear their precious offspring are going to be carted into the ‘war zone’ for a field trip. However to cancel the trip after having us read Fareeds Zakaria’s admonitions on the dangers of giving into fear would be ….perhaps hypocritical?
I am very sorry for those of you who have fear in your lives. Think of this as the perfect opportunity to get a handle on it. We will in our lives constantly be faced with task of making the right decisions. To make good, ethical, and honorable choices is not easy… it is very very difficult. It takes courage, which is of course the ability to manage fear. If we cannot conquer our fears on these little issues, how will we face the really tough ones that are sure to present themselves in the future?
2. Catriona Banks-Orosco | January 2nd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
As a participant of last year’s Chindia trip,I have to encourage all of you to hold fast to your commitment to experience India. Half of the people I now work with are from India, and I communicate nightly with a team in Pune, India. There is nothing in SLO or anything Dr. Carr can say, no offense, that can prepare you for how different this country has develped and yet how similiar we all are. The entrepreneurial spirit will not be squashed by a few hateful terrorists.
Everytime I speak to someone on my team I am reminded of the importance of relationships and that business does not come first. Yet by developing mutual respect, work gets done.
I just wanted to check out the blog and encourage all of you to stick with it. I also recommend this NY Times Op-Ed piece for those of you who missed it
The Next World Order : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/opinion/02das.html?em
3. Emily Schaapveld | December 29th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I visited India nearly three years ago on a volunteer trip. When I told my family where I was going they were…well…a bit concerned to say the least. I had never considered India to be an unsafe place, so I just told them that it was not the Middle East, so they had nothing to worry about. Furthermore, if it was unsafe, the organization would not have scheduled a trip there, right? Those two justifications that I told my family are what got me on the plane. When I arrived, I felt completely safe. I was in southern India, so I was quite far from the Pakistani border, but regardless, there was no time that I felt threatened by anyone around me. I felt welcomed and completely safe. I will admit, despite my first experience in India, I am nervous for the second trip. However, after watching the Story of India, I was reminded that it is a huge country, full of peaceful people. With all of the chaos going on in the world, it is easy to forget the good and only see the bad. As the trip nears and I learn more about India’s history, I hope to calm most, if not all, of my nerves.
4. Matthew Perez | January 3rd, 2010 at 2:28 pm
I can relate to the Thanksgiving argument since that is what happened to me this past Thanksgiving as well. My parents had recently seen a documentary on terrorism in India and used their experience as a justification for why I should not go to India. I used the Zakaria book as my justification for why I should not be concerned, as well as my experiences in Berkeley. I argued that more shootings and deaths occur in Oakland than they do in the cities we would visit in India. Of course, that probably wasn’t the most comforting thought to my parents. Although I doubt my arguments had any bearing on my parents opinion on the matter, they did comfort me with my own concerns relating to my safety.
5. Michael Harroch | February 5th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
When faced with such concerns, it is always helpful to look at the big picture. Prior to my trip to Israel in 2006, I heard similar concerns from my parents and other protective family members. Back then, most of the news coming out of Israel related to suicide bombings and rockets raining down on towns and cities. However, as we all know, in the quest for ratings it is always more advantageous to report bad news rather than good news.
It turns out that according to a study, I was more likely to die from a car crash driving from Paris to Nice than I was from some terrorist attack while in Israel.
I moved to the United Stated in 2004 to attend Cal Poly. Even three years after 9/11, I had relatives and teachers genuinely concerned for my safety. They truly believed that I was at risk of being the victim of another terrorist attack. If this sounds absurd, I am sure from an Indian point of view similar concerns about traveling to India do too.
6. Phil Hamer | February 9th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
The department of state has a constantly updated list of countries that are considered unsafe for travel. Strangely enough, the number of foreigners visiting countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen have yet to fall. Some people ignore these warnings and thus put themselves in danger. Case in point would be the students from Cal who hiked themselves into big trouble and accidentally crossed into the Iran border, and have been detained ever since. It is wise to heed the state department’s advice.
Fortunately for us, India is not on the travel warning list. If it was we probably wouldn’t be going as a group. It is however on their travel alert list.
The state department’s current counsel for traveling in India is as follows:
“The November 2008 attacks in Mumbai provide a vivid reminder that hotels, markets, and other public places are especially attractive targets for terrorist groups. U.S. citizens are urged always to practice good security, maintain a heightened situational awareness and a low profile. U.S. citizens are advised to monitor local news reports and consider the level of security present when visiting public places, including religious sites, or choosing hotels, restaurants, entertainment and recreation venues.”
It would be a good idea to keep this in mind during our stay.
Could we be the victim of a terrorist attack while in India? Well, yes we could. We could also get hit by a car, our plane might crash on the way, we could choke on some mutton, or flowerpots could fall on our heads. Things like this do happen, but we should not let fear keep us from experiences that will help us learn and grow.
By traveling smart in India we have the opportunity to return and share our experiences with our less-traveled family members and friends and help them understand the world a little more and hopefully quell some fears and misunderstandings.
7. Jay Ponto | February 11th, 2010 at 10:38 am
My family has been a slightly concerned about my journey to India this summer, particularly my mother. When her only child is venturing off to a place half-way around the world where terrorist attacks have been conducted against Americans, one can easily see cause for concern.
The way I see it, how many tourists/students/officials/business people travel from the US to India and are the victims of a terrorist attack? Less than one percent - I’m willing to take my chances. I’m not different than any American traveling to India, except that I’ll be with a sizable group of other Americans. The saying “safety in numbers” comes to mind, but it’s also easier to hit a bigger target.
I am no stranger to traveling in foreign countries, feel relatively safe about going to India, am not worried about the trip, and am eager to visit this new culture I have yet to fully experience!
8. Tim Lynds | February 18th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
I agree with Alex V. above in that people get too scared and worried about these things. Sure, terrorist attacks are horrible and would scare the crap out of me if I was directly exposed to one, but why should a normal citizen be in constant fear of them? If we remain scared and do not travel to places that have been the target of a terrorist attack, then the terrorist win.
This is not to say that we should be stupid about it and act like it won’t or can’t happen to us. If an attack happens days before our scheduled trip or one of our destinations is engulfed in war maybe we should think twice about where we travel. But if the skies remain clear from now until this summer in India then lets hit the streets running and have a blast. Worry and fear can ruin this incredible opportunity and experience.
Lastly, I AM a stranger to foreign travel so I do not know what it feels like to be immersed in a completely different culture in an unfamiliar land. I am not sure how I will feel once I am in India, but I do know that I will be going there with nothing but positive thoughts and as little fear as possible.
9. William Ary | February 21st, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Terrorism? Yeah and what if a meteor hits your house. The odds are huge that you will be fine as long as you don’t provoke anyone. I have visited 20+ countries, from Europe to Africa and South America and I have yet to experience anything more dangerous than a cabbie who gouges you on fare to a tourism destination.
That said, one thing my family and I always do when we are traveling somewhere new is hire a local expert to tell us where to go and not go, what the risky places are and who to avoid. You can think you know a lot from reading travel books but there is no substitute for a real person to help out. We (luckily) will have Dr. Singh and others along with us to help out with this. Risks will never go away no matter where you go, but there are ways to reduce them.
10. John Barry | February 23rd, 2010 at 8:58 pm
I’m with Will on this one. Terrorism . . . shmerrorism. What ever happened to the feeling behind FDR’s the “only thing thing we have to fear is fear itself” inaugural address statement? Everytime someone is contemplating a trip to Brazil they ask me about the “danger and violence.” Hate to break it to you guys but I lived there for the first 11 and one half years of my life and was never assaulted, mugged, or robbed. What makes this even more convincing is the fact that the entrance and exit out of my high rise luxury condo was a mere 300 feet from the stairs that led up to an infamous Rio de Janeiro slum.
I was 4 days away from moving to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB when 9/11 happened. Did any of you consider leaving the U.S. for a safer place to live when this went down? I’m guessing that you didn’t. My mom wanted me to move back to Brazil though. This may sound like an extreme reaction to the attacks but it’s no different than saying you shouldn’t visit a country that’s ever been victim to extremists’ attacks.
11. Frederick Peemoeller | March 12th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I personally am not afraid of terrorism and I agree with what many of you have said. By not visiting Mumbai, you have essentially let the terrorists win. India has increased its forces against terrorism and these forces will continue to grow as the country strengthens. Unfortunately, these homeland security forces are not as effective as what we have at home, but they will prevent some terrorist attacks from occurring. With that said, I am not going to run around with an American flag draped over my back with dollar bills hanging out of my pockets, but I will not allow any past terrorist activity to threaten the experience I have in India and I don’t think any of you should either.
12. Jordan Wente | March 18th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
It upsets me that people can be so ignorant about issues like terrorism. A week after the 9/11 attacks I had to board a flight from Miami to San Francisco. The airport was a mess, people were freaking out about their loved ones getting on a plane, as I walked through security and saw US soldiers in uniform holding their weapons I couldn’t help but think that this is all a little bit over the top. We gave them exactly the kind of response they wanted. The fact is the only reason terrorism is effective is because of this reaction. I agree completely with John, the only thing we can fear is fear itself. Terrorism occurs all over the world and with new media it is more frequently publicized than it has been in the past leading to an even stronger reaction. This attack might have revealed a huge weakness in Indian government but the ability for India to bounce back from it reveals some of its strengths. I was in India just a year before the attacks and never once felt unsafe or fearful of this kind of event. It will be interesting to see if the atmosphere has changed since but given India resilience I doubt it has.
13. Vitus Holzner | March 18th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
I think fear of terrorism is just nonsense! As Will asked correctly, what is the likelihood of being a victim of a terrorist attack? I would say somewhere close to zero! Terrorism is only a perceived threat fuelled by the media who loves to send gruesome pictures to our homes and politicians who are trying to push legislation curtailing our freedoms. Did I just hear someone saying Patriot Act?
I am not afraid of going to India at all. If we don’t act stupid I think it will be just as safe as a two weeks in LA.
14. Jeff | March 19th, 2010 at 7:43 am
I don’t think the risk of being subject to a terrorist attack in India is any higher than risk of going to a ball game in the US. In fact, it looks like one of the key players in the Mumbai attack was a Pakistani-American David Headley. An American citizen!
A greater risk in my opinion is being hurt from a traffic accident in India. From the safety film we all watched, the one cause that was reported to have caused the most injuries of foreign travelers was car accidents. Another factor of course for causing a nervousness about terrorist attacks is the over-exposure to news reports that detail everything about the specific attack,, but fail to put it into contest, vis-à-vis that many, many more people more people are killed by everyday activities like car crashes.
In fact in 2005, There were 400 times as many deaths from car crashes world wide than by terrorist linked activities.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/34352.php
Let’s go to India, enjoy ourselves, but keep your eyes open for cars coming at you.
15. Michael Harroch | March 19th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
The main goal of terrorist activities is not to inflict human casualties. There main goal is to inflict terror to the ethnic group, country, religion etc. they are targeting. Looking at the state of mind of most Westerners today, I am sad to say that it is fairly evident that these terrorists have succeeded. We are all victims of terrorism. It has affected the way we travel and where we travel to. It has affected our purchasing behavior, our political stances and our general perception of security. It has done so by playing on our fears. Roosevelt would be ashamed.
16. Chris Phippen | March 19th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
I agree with those above. If we are fearful of travelling to Mumbai, and especially if we decided not to go, then the terrorists have won. As mentioned above, the odds of being in the same city at the same time and even in the same area of such a large city during an attack has got to be near the odds of being struck by lightning. I think there was a post on this in the fall quarter that I responded to and from what I read, the Indians have done a good job ramping up their Quick Response Teams to handle situations like this in the future. The only thing that scares me about India in June is what we’ve been told about the food vendors in the streets.
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